Looking for Treasure on Transpennine Littondale weekend.

15 Dec 2015 | Transpennine Group

16th to 18th October 2015

The golden autumn afternoon sun bathes the dale sweeping away at our feet in a beautiful warm glow. The rich copper bracken hillsides, the blood red autumn leaves, the peaceful green sheep- fields and a surreal yellow distant mist are our reward at the end of an exhilarating day.

The Yorkshire Dales, as well as offering spectacular scenery, are also famous for caves. Two members of our group, on returning from the walk, take advantage of a late Saturday afternoon trip to Sleets Gill Cave.

What better follow up than a delicious communal meal in the company of good friends with whom to share the experiences of the day. The wine flows as you recall the wild loneliness of the moorland, the exquisite beauty of the gentle valley stream, the demanding ascent of an ancient monk road and the sweet descent. All this mixed with witty anecdotes and the odd bawdy song.

The next day is never the same as the one before, but a little morning drizzle is not a problem. The head of Littondale is one of the quietest, prettiest, dramatic, remote, unspoilt areas in England, and we have it to ourselves.

In ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho, a shepherd boy sets off on a long, dangerous journey to find his treasure only to return home to where he started, destitute after being robbed of his acquired wealth. And as he sits down bemoaning his loss, he finds his treasure. It is at his feet, and has been there all the time.

Maybe our treasure is not somewhere ‘out there’ but in the countryside close to home, and in the people with whom we share it.

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